Oilers AHL prospects midseason update

By Guy Flaming

January 21st, 2005

AHL Prospect Update (Midseason Report Card)

With 40 games now behind them, the Edmonton Road Runnershave reached and past the midpoint of the 2004-05 AHL schedule.While some prospects have performed asexpected, others have failed to deliver or have simply struggled and then thereare those who have far surpassed all preseason expectations.

Sweater Number – Name (Position) – Age

#5 Jeff Woywitka (D) – 21

Let’s call a spade a spade here and admit that Jeff Woywitkahas not performed up to expectations this year.After terrific Oiler Rookie and Road Runner training camps, theVermilion native was expected to not only lead the Edmonton blueline in theAHL, but there was the thought that he could crack the NHL roster too if thatleague hadn’t taken an extended summer holiday.

Battling consistency all year and only recently beginning toplay with more confidence and composure, Woywitka is counting on a strongsecond half to erase some of the criticisms that have stuck with him throughthe first 40 games of the schedule.Foran offensive defenseman, not scoring a goal until the New Year simply isn’tgood enough, but give the young man credit because he can own up to that andaccepts the negative critiques with the right attitude.

“I think maybe earlier in the season I was trying to playtoo safe defensively, but when I see the opportunity I have to make thingshappen,” said the 21-year-old.“I’mgetting my chances by joining the rush and making things happen so it’ssomething that’s going to come for me.”

Paired with captain Dan Smith for the entire season provideshim with a solid stay at home partner that can cover for him when he makes hisrushes and as his confidence grows, Woywitka is taking more chances.Defensively he has been average but where hestruggles the most is in the speed of his decision-making.Under pressure, Woywitka can cough up thepuck in the worst ways and for a guy that is supposed to have puck-moving as astrength, that will have to be a major focus for him in the second half.

After finally scoring in Manitoba on January 8thWoywitka has raised his season point totals to 11, which is good enough forsecond on the team amongst blueliners.That said, it’s also a pace that would have him finish with fewer pointsthan the 28 he had in his rookie season.

Grade: C+

#7 Doug Lynch (D) – 21

After his AHL All-Star season of last year, would it be fairto say that Doug Lynch is not playing to the level he did a year ago?Well, he’s probably not an All-Star thisyear so in that respect it would seem so.Statistically, Lynch’s 10 points at the midpoint of the schedule has himwell off his pace from last year when he finished with 36.

While the point production isn’t there like it was a seasonago, Lynch is progressing in other ways, most notably in his defensive game.The native of British Columbia is bigger,stronger and more experienced than a year ago and it’s showing in his fiercecompetitiveness in front of the net and in the corners.

Paired with Rocky Thompson since opening night, Lynch hasbeen a physical force and a deterrent for the opposing forwards once they enterhis ice space.Quite often this yearthe Road Runners have used Lynch and his large caliber point shot on the powerplay and because he can move the puck pretty well, he has fit in nicely on thespecial teams unit.

One the negative side, Lynch is far from playing mistakefree hockey.Mental errors like poorbreakout or outlet passes in his own zone are an area of concern as is hisdefensive positioning at times, especially under pressure.What’s refreshing to see about Lynch is thatwhen he is guilty of a making a costly error you can visibly see thedetermination to make up for the blunder and more than a few times this year hehas bounced back to help the team after such a situation.

In short, there is far more ‘good’ than ‘bad’ to Lynch’sperformance this season but this is a young player who is benefiting from theNHL lockout because the temptation might have been there in October to move himup to the big club and he doesn’t appear to be completely ready just yet.

Grade: B-

#8 Tony Salmelainen (RW)

What can be said about the Finnish speedster who leads theRoad Runners in scoring that hasn’t already been said?His speed is legendary and yet because it’shis greatest asset, it has to be pointed out time and time again.The fact that he might possibly be thefastest player in both the AHL and the NHL assures him that he’ll get hisopportunity with the big club sooner rather than later.

The downside to Salmelainen is two fold, his size and hishands.At 5’9 and 185 lbs, Salmelainenis clearly at a physical disadvantage although he obviously is able to overcomethat at the AHL level.Will he be ableto do it in the NHL?Time will tell.

As outlined in the recent Top20 Oiler Prospects story, Salmelainen can definitely score but is neitherconsistent nor proficient enough to be considered an offensive dynamo in themold of smaller players like Pavel Bure or Paul Kariya.He has a very good shot, hard and accuratebut seldom uses it if the opportunity to deke is there as well.Unfortunately, because he’s usually movingso fast, Salmelainen can’t control the puck when making a shifty move and thescoring opportunity is lost.More oftenthan not, if Salmelainen scores a goal in a game, it’s off an odd man rush or abroken play in the offensive end, not on his multitude of breakaway chances.

He’s a scorer at the American League level but will need toget much more prolific to be so in the NHL.His speed will give him opportunities, but it’s his hands that willdecide whether or not he’s an NHL player or not.

Grade: A-

#9 Joe Cullen (C) – 23

After a promising rookie campaign a year ago, this has notbeen the sequel Joe Cullen had hoped for.After scoring Edmonton’s first goal of the season on the team’s firstshot, the Minnesota-born center failed to find the back of the net for over amonth.Thought of as a solid checkingline center with some offensive upside, Cullen found himself in the doghouseand the pressbox in November because he was failing to live up to expectationsand also because of the plethora of centers with the team.

“I think it’s a combination ofboth, but they had a lot of guys to choose from as to who to sit out so I’msure there was a reason that they picked me,” Cullen said at the time.“As far as I am concerned my play has toimprove a lot.My confidence levelisn’t as high as it should be and I’m just not making the right plays at theright time.”

After continuing to struggle inDecember it was the team that decided to make a move and they dealt Cullen toSan Antonio in exchange for big winger Eric Beaudoin.Although the Oilers and Florida Panthers still own the rights tothe players they had, sources tell Hockey’s Future that the deal could becomepermanent once the NHL’s CBA issues are resolved.Both teams have the right to reevaluate the deal and reverse itat that time if they want to but a recent story in a local Florida paper seemedto indicate that the Panthers were already saying goodbye to Beaudoin.

With the Oilers being extremelydeep at the center position, especially in the third to fourth line roles, itwould be very hard for Cullen to make the Oiler roster and this move allows himto move to a team where he is expected to get more ice time than he was withthe Runners and that will be good for his development.The Oilers can always bring him back, but atthis point it doesn’t appear that will be the case.

Grade: D

#10 Brad Winchester (RW) – 23

One of the few bright spots on this year’s Road Runnersroster, right-winger Brad Winchester has performed about as well as anyonecould have expected he would in his second year of professional hockey.The 6’5 230 lb Wisconsin captain has takenhis game to another level this year by using his size and strength to hisbenefit.When he’s on his game, he’s adominant player at the AHL level.

The down side to Winchester is still his consistency.The nights when he isn’t playing physically,getting in the occasional fight and aggressively driving to the net he looksvery uninspired and becomes a complete non-factor.Thankfully Winchester is ‘on’ more often than he is ‘off’ hencethe reason why he’s currently fifth on the team in scoring.In fact, at the midpoint of the year he hasalready matched his previous season’s totals and could realistically doublethem by the time game 80 comes to a close.

He’s not a sure fire bet to be a regular NHL player one daybut he definitely is on the radar for at least getting an audition at the toplevel.Winchester is a player who couldeventually supplant someone like Brad Isbister as both are in the same mold aspower forwards.

To begin the year Winchester was placed on a line along withMike Bishai and Jamie Wright, a trio that enjoyed late season success a yearago in Toronto.Recently Geoff Ward hasjuggled lines resulting in Winchester playing with J.J. Hunter and Nate DiCasmirro.In the half dozen games the threesome hasbeen together, they have been very impressive and dangerous, often the mostaffective the Runners had on the night.

Grade:B+

#15 Dan Baum – (C/W) – 21

No one is expecting Dan Baum to produce offensively so thefact that his scoring is down from last year, six points compared to 10 in thesame number of games, is not a concern for the club.What Baum is doing is the job he knows he’s there to do.He gets under the skin of the opposition andis more than willing to go a few rounds with anyone wearing a different coloredjersey.

At 6’1 and 194 lbs, Baum has fought Manitoba’s WadeBrookbank who tilts the scales at 6’4 and 225 lbs while players his own sizesuch as Milwaukee’s Jordan Tootoo and Hamilton’s Steve Ott have not onlybacked down but have steered clear.

Baum had to overcome mysterious headaches through trainingcamp and more recently a bruised hand, a souvenir from his bout with Brookbank.

With 152 penalty minutes already chalked up to his name,Baum has reminded Edmonton fans what it’s like seeing a tough guy doing his jobon a nightly basis.

Grade:C+

#18 Marty St. Pierre – (C) – 21

Although he scored in his first game with the Road Runners,it would not be possible to grade him as an AHL player so a closer look at St.Pierre will come in February’s ECHL update.

#21 Kyle Brodziak – (C) – 20

In limited action this season Kyle Brodziak has shown thathe deserves to play more.In themajority of the 20 games he has played in the forward has made it easy for thecoaching staff to put him back in the line-up for the next night.Brodziak is a rookie and so he is beingbrought along at a leisurely pace but on the ice, the kid has shown more thanflashes of steady and reliable play.

Brodziak’s pair of goals and six assists don’t reallyreflect how well he has played and he is showing levels of play that only comewith a certain amount of confidence.

“I’m starting to feel comfortableout there and I still know what I need to do but my main goal is to prove tothe coaches that I deserve to be out there and try to stay in the line up,”Brodziak told Hockey’s Future in December.

What is most striking about the wayBrodziak has played has been his patience with the puck when creating plays,especially on the power play where Geoff Ward has often used the20-year-old.Brodziak could be a playerto keep an eye on in the second half of the season.

Grade: C+

#25 J.J. Hunter (C) – 24

Few Edmonton players have surpassed the preseasonexpectations anyone had of them but J.J. Hunter is one of the names on thatshort list.The center from small townSaskatchewan is one of the feel good stories of the year inside the RoadRunners dressing room simply because Hunter is a full time AHL player.What’s so special about that you ask?

“I’ve always kindof gone through the back door my entire career; I was never drafted in theBantam draft and in fact before the WHL I had never even played AAA hockey atall,” Hunter told Hockey’s Future in the fall.“I got an opportunity from the Oilers as a free agent to come out, thatwas three years ago and luckily they’ve stuck with me and we’ve kind of growntogether.”

A very solidchecking line player, Hunter has basically filled the role previously held byChad Hinz with the exception that the current Road Runner player has shown muchmore offensive upside that the former did.Hunter is currently eighth on the team in scoring although he has missed11 games with two separate shoulder injuries.

Hunter can play allthree forward positions making him a valuable player on a team that has upwardsof eight middlemen on the roster.Lately Hunter has been centering Winchester and DiCasmirro but afterre-aggravating his early season shoulder problems, the kid from Saskatchewanwill be sidelined for a while.

Grade:B

#28 Jason Platt

(D) – 21

At the beginning ofthe season, the last thing on Jason Platt’s mind was playing hockey inEdmonton, not because he didn’t want to but because it just wasn’t the mostimportant thing going on at the time.During training camp the blueliner’s brother, Bryce Platt, was involvedin a horrific car accident in British Columbia and big brother Jason left to bewith his family at the teen’s bedside.Remarkably, Bryce made a speedy recovery and when Jason returned to Edmontonthere was a visible difference in his persona.No longer was he the rookie with big wide eyes at Rexall Place, he waswalking with a jump in his step and a new outlook on life.

The Road Runnerskept eight defenders out of camp and many thought that was because cuttingPlatt while he was tending to his brother would simply be wrong.It was expected that Platt would get into afew games with Edmonton and then be reassigned to Greenville, but that’s notwhat happened at all.Platt played andhas been more impressive the more he gets the chance to suit up.He’s very physical and responsibledefensively and is slowly learning to step up for his teammates when need betoo.

“I want toshow the guys I’m not going to back down no matter who it is,” said Plattrecently after the fight filled game against the St. John’s Maple Leafs thatsaw him involved with Jason MacDonald.“I was trying to clear the front andgave him a few crosschecks, I was almost kind of asking for it because earlierin the game one of our guys got roughed up and I didn’t step in and I needed toredeem myself.”

Grade: C+

#36 Mathieu Roy(D) – 21

A scouting reporton Mathieu Roy would probably contain words and phrases like defensivelyreliable, cannon of a shot, physical but not overpowering and even underratedskating ability.You can now add tothat list a few surprises from this season like offensive upside and willingcombatant.

After 25 games Royhas 11 points, he only had five points all last year in 40 games, and moreimportantly his development curve has continued to curl upwards.

Roy’s had a couplemultiple point games this year but the one he’ll probably be most rememberedfor came against St. John’s in November when he had a pair of collisions withMatt Stajan that left the Leafs forward writhing in pain both times.The Leafs felt both hits were dangerousblows but Roy feels that if they were, Stajan himself shares some of the blamefor them.

“I was justracing for the puck and so I just tried to hit him clean but he turned hisback,” Roy said innocently about the first check before describing the secondincident.“(The second hit) was a cleanhit though, it was just in a bad position because he was trying to reach forthe puck and I was coming from the blueline.”

Unlike some players in the league who like to deliver bighits, Roy will stand up and drop the mitts when he needs to defend himself likeevery tough player eventually must do.He’s not a fighter and doesn’t always do very well, but give him thecredit for taking his lumps like a man and not backing down.

Grade: C

#38 Mike Bishai (C) – 25

When does a player go from being described as ‘struggling’to something less positive, perhaps harsh sounding like ‘failure’?Mike Bishai was pegged before the seasonbegan by the coach as the player he expected to have a breakout year and takehis game to a new level.

It’s an understatement to say that statistically, Bishai’sproduction this half-year is a fraction of what was hoped for.Are just 4 goals in 33 games or 17 pointsenough for someone supposedly on the NHL bubble?No it isn’t and the center from Edmonton will be the first one toadmit that.

“The best way is torelax and get as many shots as I can,” said Bishai in December at the height ofhis productive slump.“When you haven’tbeen scoring you obviously grip the stick too tight and it’s something toovercome.”

In the final yearof his contract with the Oilers, Bishai needs to have a season impressiveenough to convince the Oilers that they need to exercise their one-way optionon him next year but that’s going to be a difficult task in the secondhalf.

While he hasn’tscored much, his chances have been plentiful and while he might not be buryinghis chances, others are getting goals from his failed tries so all is notcompletely disastrous for Bishai.Thatsaid, failure to improve his numbers could mean that his 15 minutes of fame asan Oiler could be just about ready to expire.

Grade C+

#40 JeffDrouin-Deslauriers (G) – 20

With just 12 appearancesso far this year and only four wins to his credit, no one can say that JeffDrouin-Deslauriers’ rookie campaign has been a smashing success.JDD’s numbers don’t really give an accurateportrayal of how the 20-year-old has played over the course of his 12 startsbecause thanks to a couple brutal games, his save percentage (.889) and goalsagainst average (2.86) have taken a beating.

In the gamesDrouin-Deslauriers has played in, his performance has been very good for themost part.Of course he isn’t immune tothe occasional rookie mistake or bad goal but no one in the system issuggesting any level of disappointment.Visiting scouts to Road Runner games have noted an improvement in thegoalie’s play from his days in Chicoutimi so despite an apparent lack of AHLsuccess, the big picture still looks good.

Since taking a puckoff the shin in practice when his goal pad got twisted around on his leg, JDDhas been out of action and Greenville goalie Mike Morrison has beenrecalled.The possibility exists,although it’s not expected, that Drouin-Deslauriers could be sent down to theECHL in order to play more games.Withthe drying up of work visasfor US-bound Canadian players, that appears to be animprobable scenario though.

Grade:C+

#43 Brent Henley(D) – 24

Having played inonly a dozen games so far this year, partly due to injury but mostly due tonumbers, Brent Henley hasn’t been able to get into any kind of rhythm orroutine.Well known as a fighter,finding a dance partner has been a challenge for Henley who outweighs and seesover the top of the heads of most people.When it comes to fighting a Road Runner, opponents would rather risklosing a bout to a legend like Rocky Thompson than to a relative newcomer whojust might destroy them in the process.

Hockey-wise Henleyhas been pretty solid.He’s nowhereclose to NHL ready but he certainly hasn’t embarrassed himself by any stretchof the imagination.Because of his 6’7frame and the massive wingspan that goes with it, Henley is a formidabledefender to try and beat one-on-one.His puckhandling is average, his mobility maybe slightly more so but hisphysical play is a definite strength.

Grade: C

#44 JesseNiinimaki (C) – 21

Is it fair to judgea player who has only played in eight games?In the case of first round pick Jesse Niinimaki it is.

After leavingFinland and joining the Road Runners in mid season, a decision sources tellHockey’s Future was initiated by the player; Niinimaki has yet to play histenth game in North America although he’s been here for six weeks.Recently it has been widely reported thatthe reason Niinimaki has been a healthy scratch more often than not is becauseof an apparent lack of conditioning and desire.

Geoff Ward has usedskating as an example of one area Niinimaki must improve on in practice beforehe becomes a regular in the line up.The club has challenged the Finn to show more drive and passion in hisplay because up to now he has looked indifferent.

“Of course I want to play as much as I can, but let’s see whatcomes,” Niinimaki said, “They just want me to play the way I can.”

“He’s got to get in a little bitbetter condition and we’ve talked about that.

He’s close that way and I think he’s pretty comfortable in our systemsbut when he’s got the opportunity to play he’s got to show that he’s making apositive impact on the game,” Ward explained.“We just have to keep working with Jesse.It’s a two-part process; he’s got to bring more and showus a bit more that he wants to compete, have more passion when he plays and wehave to keep teaching him how to do that by showing him video of himself and ofother guys on the team and how they play so that he can make thecomparison.He’s a talented player butright now he’s a guy trying to break into the lineup at our deepest positionand that’s center.”

As for the skating critique,Niinimaki says that Ward isn’t the first to have pointed that out to him.

“He’s not the first one to saythat!” he laughed before attempting to explain that it’s an issue with his bodytype more than a lack of effort.“Myarms and legs are so long.Ihave a problem gaining weight, it’s hereditary; my mother is tall with longlegs, like me, but my father is short as is my big brother.”

There’s no questioning his puckcontrol skills as he displayed when he scored a goal during an overtimeshootout by unveiling a move that no one else of the Road Runners is capable ofpulling off.With the injury to Hunterand the trading of Cullen, Niinimaki will get his chance now and it will be upto him to capitalize on it.

Grade: C-

Quotes From the Road Runners

“One thing I have to do more this year is shoot, I like to pass a lotbecause I’m more of a dish man or set up guy but in pro hockey you have to beshooting.”

–Mike Bishai on October 1st on what his gameplan was to be this year.

“You’re only as strong as yourweakest link.It doesn’t matter howmany good things you do sometimes, hockey’s like a pool game; it’s what youleave, it’s not what you make and tonight we left some things there that theypounced on.”

–Head Coach Geoff Ward on Nov 23 after a loss to St.John’s.

“We have to understand that wecan’t put ourselves in dangerous situations when the game is on the line.We’ve been guilty of taking some stupidpenalties at times this year.Asunfortunate as that call was we turned right around and take a boarding callduring 4-on-4 to put us down 5-3, to me that’s just selfish.”

–Ward commenting the same night on Tony Salmelainentaking a bad penalty in an important game against the Leafs.

“To me it’s a stupid way to decidea hockey game.”

–Ward on his distain for the shootout rule.

“Yeah, that’s unbelievable!He showed me that as soon as he came inwhile I was still rehabbing and I thought ‘Oh man, that could have been me!’ soI’m pretty thankful right now.”

–J.J. Hunter when asked if Jesse Niinimakihad shown him the souvenir scar from his major shoulder surgery form lastyear.Hunter missed 9 games earlierthis season with a shoulder dislocation.

“We only played against him once ortwice in junior and I seen him get spanked by a couple guys on my team when heactually squared off with them but the only time he actually (wins fights) iswhen he jumps guys like he did to me.He jumped (Winchester) the last game and it was the same thing.We saw it last year when (Jarome) Iginla wasranting about him.Iginla would spankthat kid!Iggy would give it to him soinstead (Tootoo) goes out and grabs him from behind, looks like he beats him upon the highlights and Iginla’s mad just like me.I’ve talked to guys around the league and it’s the same thing…he’s chicken.”

“I went out there and asked him tosquare off near the end of the game and instead he goes and tried to run acouple guys and points at a couple of us on the bench and goes and sitsdown.I don’t know what he’sthinking.I don’t know how you’re goingto get respect if you’re going to do something like that.I have respect for players that do my roleand I’m best friends with them off the ice but if I run into him don’texpect me to buy him a drink.”

–More Baum gems in regards to Tootoo.

“It’s fun, playing in front of alot of people is fun.It doesn’tmatter if they’re cheering for you or if you’re on the road and they’re booingyou, you feed off that energy and atmosphere.

Being in Edmonton we’re thrilled and we’re hoping the fans keep comingout.We have a great team here and wecan win so hopefully the fans keep coming.”

–Doug Lynch November 26th.

“If I really had to point at one guy… Jason Platt has reallyemerged as a guy who is ahead of where we thought he would be at thispoint.With a shortened training camphe’s done a heck of a job coming back from that set back with getting back intoshape quickly, and being able to translate that into the minutes that he hasplayed for us and played effectively.

For us he’s been a real nice surprise.”

–Geoff WardNovember 29th when asked privately to single out a player he feltwas exceeding expectations.

“You don’t want to try and tell those guys what to do on a shot;they decide before they go in there what they’re going to do on a shot and thelast thing you want to do is get into their kitchen when they’re in a momentlike that.”

–Ward when asked if he ever suggests to players what todo in the shootout.

“He’s become an elite player at thislevel now and that’s the next step to making the NHL.He’s not a one-dimensional player; he does provide offense buthe’s good away from the puck as well.His development is certainly going in the right direction and he’sgotten better every year in the league.”

–Scott Howson Dec. 6th

describing Tony Salmelainen’s status with the team.

“I think he’s probably squeezing hisstick too hard right now and things haven’t gone his way.He’s got the talent to work his way out ofit, he’s proven himself at this level and in stretches last year he was clearlya No. 1 center in the AHL.Everyonegoes through it and he’ll fight his way out of it.”

–

Scott HowsonDec. 6th on Mike Bishai and his continuing struggle to score.

“When you look at it, it’s a toughleague and there are a lot of really good players so sometimes maybe the pointsdon’t bounce your way but the team is doing good and that’s all that reallymatters right now.”

–Jeff Woywitka December 10th

addressing his lack of offensive production.The blueliner had just five points at that point, two months into theschedule.Woywitka has notched 6 morepoints since then.

“My tendency is to be angry and I’msure that play will go through my head more than a few times tonight but youcan’t dwell on those things.If youbeat yourself up too much over negative plays your attitude and things aren’tgoing to be good.Sometimes losses likethis are stepping-stones to something great.The saying is that you have to lose to learn to win.”

–J.J. Hunter December 10th after agolden opportunity went unsuccessful and the Runners lost 3-2 to Manitoba.

“I tried a one-piece stick a couple of times but I didn’t like it.I’m more comfortable with wood, it’s asofter feel, and I can feel the puck better.

It’s heavier but I’m used to it, I’ve played with one almost all mylife.If I was used to a one-piece thenmaybe I could use it but I would have to play a whole summer with it to getused to it.“

–Jesse Niinimaki on why he uses a wooden stick,the only Road Runner using one.

“There’s a lot of hockey left, but you do have to realize that every gameis going to be a battle.In ourdivision there are a lot of good teams, last year was the same thing whereyou’d be in second one day and in fourth the next so this is nothing new.”

–BradWinchester Dec 12thas the team lost control of first place in the North Division and slid tofourth.

“Yeah it did, that it was the Oilersit did.There were teams I knew thatwere going to pick me in the first round.

Ottawa, St. Louis, Islanders, Columbus… there were four or five.I think San Jose was the only team I didn’thave an interview with.”

–Jesse Niinimaki December 20th whenasked by Hockey’s Future if it surprised him to be picked by the Oilers in thefirst round.

“I’m playing hard, playing better,making the right play where as maybe before I was trying to make a pretty playand it wouldn’t work out and I’d turn it over.I’m starting to make the simpler play because at the next level youcan’t make those mistakes because they’ll bury them on you.”

–Jeff Woywitka December 20thdescribing his slow improvement since just before Christmas.

“I went to play a two-on-one infront of the net there and the puck went off of my stick.You’re heart just sinks and you feel sobad.It’s a lucky bounce for them andwe played so well and so hard and I certainly didn’t want to see that one bethe winner.I was just sick to mystomach and was trying to focus for the rest of the game.It was nice that we got the big power playgoal at the end… I had to redeem myself.”

–Doug Lynch describing how he scored on his ownnet December 20th against Hamilton.

“We had two or three chances to putit away but you have to give them credit; they’re a trapping team and we knewthat going in, they wait for their chances.They got a breakaway goal to make it 1-0 and then they just trap it upand their other goal was a lucky bounce.They just try to bore you to death but give them credit because theyplay their system well.”

–Lynch describing the playing style of the Habs’farm club.

“With Tony leaving, that wasdefinitely an opportunity for me and we’ll see what happens Wednesday and gofrom there after that.I know I have tomake the best of the opportunity.I gotone point tonight and one in Anaheim so it’s nice to be able to contribute alittle bit and hopefully it keeps coming.”

–Kyle Brodziak December 20th ongetting into the line up while Tony Salmelainen went to Russia to playin the Rosno Cup.

“We got a memo from the leagueabout they’re cracking down on obstruction again and I thought it wasunbelievable.Like that call in thethird period on Stoll where the guy dropped his stick and they made the callthat it was a slash.It’s frustratingbut let’s just say I expected it to be a tall total tonight.”

–Ward December 22nd in regards to fluctuatingofficiating in the AHL.

“I think it only happened twice incollege and here I think I’m in my 14th game and I’m a star of agame and I don’t think I even had a point tonight.It’s a nice honor.”

–Jason Platt after being named the third staragainst Hamilton going pointless but logging a ton of minutes and being a +2.

“He was chirping me the whole firstperiod because I was laying hits on guys and he came in and ran me from behindwith a big elbow, we got to chirping at each other and stuck each other at theend of our shift.I was exhausted buthe kept saying ‘let’s go right now! Let’s go right now!’ and I said ‘nextshift’ but he said no and flinched and I’ve always been told that when a guyflinches you don’t mess around.Idropped my gloves but he didn’t and that’s just the type of guy he is.He chirps all game, he’s good at drawingpenalties but he’s not the tough guy that he pretends to be.”

–Platt after the same game talking about Dallasproperty Steve Ott.

“I can’t explain why (the previousgame) was a bad game but sometimes it’s like that.I wanted to show some character that I am able to rebound afterthat game so I prepared myself very hard for this game and the result wasthere.This was a team win but it wasvery nice.”

–Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers Dec 22nd

getting a win after a horrible game against Cincinnati earlier that week.

“We’ve got 5 or 6 natural centerswhen you put Baum, Brodziak, Stoll, Niinimaki, Hunter, Petersen and Bishai sowe wanted to create a little room there and San Antonio was looking for acenter.”

“Probably junior, USHL, beforecollege but that still wasn’t close to this.”

–Jason Platt after the fight fest against St.John’s on January 10th when asked when the last time he played in asimilar game.

“Tonight I kind of let my teamdown, I got a five-minute major and one of the main reasons they have medressed is to kill penalties and they scored two against me tonight.That’s what I bring to the team is killingpenalties and playing rough hockey and if I’m not doing it then we need to haveother guys in there.”